The Election Commission of India (ECI) on January 5 dismissed concerns raised by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) saying there were “no new assertions or reasonable and legitimate” doubts which require “further clarifications”.
The rules governing paper slips (in VVPAT) were introduced by the Congress-led government in 2013, the ECI said in a communication to the Congress General Secretary (Communication).
The poll body further asserted that it had “full faith in the use of the EVMs in the elections” and said that the latest updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) answer “adequately and comprehensively” all reasonable and legitimate aspects on the use of the EVMs in Indian elections.
Mr Ramesh had on December 30 last year written to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar seeking an “opportunity” for three or four leaders from the INDIA block to meet him to put forward their point of view on EVMs and VVPATs.
He said that their previous six letters seeking appointment since August 9 have not elicited a positive response.
The letter had come in the backdrop of a resolution adopted at the December 19 INDIA meeting, which said they reiterate the “many doubts” they have on the integrity of the functioning of the EVMs and demanded that VVPAT slip falling in the box should be handed over the voter who shall then place it in a separate ballot box after having verified her choice.
On Friday the ECI letter, signed by Pramod Kumar Sharma, Principal Secretary in the Election Commission, said that “Rule 49A and 49M of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, governing VVPAT and handling of paper slips was introduced by INC (Indian National Congress) on 14th August, 2013”.
“The recent letter dated December 30, 2023, does not raise any unresponded issue on EVM/VVPAT,” Mr Sharma said adding that it “has no new assertions or reasonable and legitimate doubts which requires further clarifications”.
“Based on the outcomes of the elections conducted using EVMs, legal framework, established jurisprudence, technical security and administrative safeguards, the Commission has full faith in the use of the EVMs in the elections”.
The ECI said that political parties and candidates are associated at every stage of handling of the EVMs like storage, movement, training, randomisation, commissioning, mock polls, start of poll, close of poll and counting.
